The first full month of the WHL season is in the books, and to say there are a few surprises would be an understatement. The most recent trades have involved a Calgary Hitmen team that has struggled to score and are currently sitting in the middle of the Eastern Conference pack. Leaving the Hitmen are Chase Lang and Ben Thomas, and incoming from Vancouver are Jackson Houck, Cody Porter, and Jakob Stukel. Houck's arrival also spells the end for Elliot Peterson, who was placed on waivers, since Houck is a 20-year old and the Hitmen had to get within the three overage players limit. Also leaving is Terrell Darude, who is heading to Saskatoon. As for who the Hitmen hope to overtake, there's the Prince Albert Raiders, who lead the conference this early in the season thanks to goaltending from Rylan Parenteau and Ian Scott. The Raiders were widely expected to struggle this season, so this early season surge comes a bit of a surprise. The Red Deer Rebels are next in line, and they figure to be in contention all season long, particularly since they are hosting the Memorial Cup tournament. The Brandon Wheat Kings are fourth and were surprised by Portland on Sunday in a 5-0 loss. Other surprises include Saskatoon doing fairly well and Medicine Hat stumbling out of the block.
On the Western Conference side, there are few surprises, though Vancouver getting Thomas and Lang indicates that they're going to give Tyler Benson some better players to work with, particularly since Houck wasn't likely to come back. Portland's early struggles appear to be behind them after a strong weekend in which they won all three games, including the 5-0 game against Brandon on Sunday. The Western Conference, as expected, is pretty much a bottleneck in the middle, with only Seattle, Victoria, and Kelowna pulling ahead of the pack. With tournaments such as the Canada/Russia Subway Series and the World Junior Championship coming up, how the teams adapt will help clear the pictures.
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